A study released this year by a nonpartisan research organization at the University of Colorado-Boulder concluded that no large for-profit charter school management firm in the United States has a performance record worse than White Hat. Of the country's 51 White Hat-managed schools, one met a standard called "adequate yearly progress." That's a success rate of under 2 percent.

Brennan's politicians do much better. They cause little trouble and try to do exactly as they're told.

And that's what happened last week when Brennan's minions in the Republican-run Ohio House moved brazenly to reward their benefactor at the expense of Ohio's taxpayers. Ignoring a torrent of criticism, Thursday night the House passed a two-year budget bill that contained the unthinkable:

It authorized creation of taxpayer-financed schools whose primary purpose is to turn a profit for their owners. And it reduced the oversight authority of the government entity that serves as sponsor of those schools.

Legitimate school-choice groups fear what the House did might inflict grave harm to the charter school movement. So, too, does the Greater Cleveland Partnership.

House Speaker William Batchelder

Terry Ryan, vice president of charter programs for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, said the House may have turned Ohio into a "laughingstock of the nation's charter school programs" because it gives the appearance this state "puts profits ahead of the education of children."

Bill Sims, head of the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools, wasn't impressed by House leaders' attempts to pacify critics. "It was just window dressing," he said. "I frankly didn't expect much better out of the House. Walking backwards into an unregulated environment will erase years of hard work that put charters in the right trajectory."

No other state has for-profit charters with such little accountability. That's why House leaders were being dishonest when they claimed to have fixed all problems with the for-profit charter school provision originally introduced as an amendment to the budget bill. All they really did was dab a little lipstick on their pig.

No other state has for-profit charters like the ones authorized by the House. But Ohio's House Republicans acted as if they owed Brennan a return on his investment.

In the past decade, Brennan and his family members have contributed more than $4 million to Republican candidates in Ohio. Over the years, he's also been a gigantic donor (well north of $100,000) to House Speaker Bill Batchelder. During the 2010 statewide campaigns, the Brennan clan spread around more than $400,000 -- with a big chunk going to Gov. John Kasich.

Brennan's well-documented support for Batchelder prompted an Akron Beacon Journal editorial to suggest, "Speaker Batchelder and his allies invite the impression they are eager to help David Brennan."

A telephone call to Brennan's office went unreturned. Batchelder, in an interview, branded as a "lie" any suggestion he is Brennan's agent. But even though a spokesman for Brennan had publicly acknowledged having some input into the charter school changes, it was hard to get a straight answer out of the speaker on where the pro-Brennan portion of the budget bill originated.

"We must have had nearly 2,000 amendments" to the budget, Batchelder said. "They come from members of both parties. Some of these things obviously reflect what the governor was doing. Some come from people who testify" at budget hearings.

In 2007, after a state audit accused White Hat Management of "abusive" business practices and complained of repeated difficulties securing necessary documents, a Plain Dealer editorial observed: "Brennan has purchased the affection of a great many members of the Ohio General Assembly. As a result, some legislators are content to follow him blindly on matters pertaining to school choice."

Four years later, House Republicans proved our point.

If done right, expanding school choice in Ohio can be a good thing. But the crass authorization of for-profit charter schools has undermined attempts by a great many thoughtful people to expand choice in ways that benefit children and protect the taxpayers.

It is hard to escape the notion that Batchelder's fingerprints are all over this underhanded move. And despite all the lip service from House Republicans about caring for kids, this has nothing to do with education and everything to do with steering tax dollars to a generous political benefactor.

House Republicans sold out Ohio's children. Some conscientious Senate Republicans know this and are talking publicly about removing the for-profit charter part of the budget altogether. It's also time to hear from the governor on this issue.

Ohioans need to be assured that not everyone running their state government is bought and paid for.

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